Bruce Cassidy, Patrice Bergeron Praise Kevan Miller After Defenseman Retires

There’s no hiding Kevan Miller was a leader of the Boston Bruins and that his presence was felt both on the ice and inside the locker room.

The defenseman announced via Instagram on Wednesday that he’d be retiring from the NHL after seven seasons. Miller suffered a slew of injuries throughout his career, including a twice-broken knee cap that kept him out of most the 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs and allowed him to play just four games during Boston’s 2020-21 Cup run.

When healthy, Miller bolstered the blue line with his physicality, and it never went unnoticed with his teammates and head coach.

“I’m so proud of everything he’s accomplished in his career,” Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron told the Boston Herald’s Steven Conroy. “He worked so hard and worked so hard to get back (from injury), he’s the ultimate warrior and a great teammate. I’m proud to have been his teammate.”

Bruce Cassidy referred to Miller as the “big brother” to the guys in the locker room.

“He did a really good job of going from the new guy to being that big brother for us,” Cassidy told Telegram & Gazette’s Joe McDonald. “We missed him (when he was injured) and I don’t think anyone would argue we missed him in a lot of playoff series.”

Miller finished his career with 13 goals and 58 assists.